Joining Together to Improve Education in the 4th District: State Funding and Neighborhood Reading

Watch a Segment of the Joint Finance Committee and Environmental Resources Committee Hearing

This month, the Pennsylvania Senate is debating legislation that would implement a shale extraction tax restoring funding to our public schools. As a member of the Finance Committee, I participated in a hearing this week that further convinced me a significant severance tax on shale in Pennsylvania is economically and morally justified.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the union with shale deposits that does not impose a severance tax and we have the 2nd highest shale deposits in the nation. That's a mistake. The industry claimed that they are already paying significant taxes. We learned that they pay little to no corporate taxes whatsoever, probably because of legal maneuvering. They are freeloaders, using our schools, universities and more, without paying their fair share. I encourage you to call Governor Wolf at 717-787-5825 to show your support for a shale tax for education in our state.

Join the Reading Revolution!

Too many children across the 4th Senate District fall behind on reading as early as the 3rd grade.
The U.S. Department of Education recommends simple strategies for creating strong readers.

Invite a child to read with you every day. When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees. Read a child’s favorite book over and over again. Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along with you. Discuss new words. For example, “This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?” Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story. When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees.

New District Office on Germantown Avenue – Stay Tuned

I am glad to announce that I am opening a new district office on Germantown Avenue in July. This office, in addition to our Abington district office, will allow my staff to better serve constituents across the 4th district. Stay tuned for more information on our office opening next month.

Dare to care,

Art Haywood
State Senator
4th District

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